In the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,457,586, T. C. Zweip, et al., issued July 29, 1969; 3,486,187, T. C. Zweip, et al. issued Dec. 30, 1969; and 3,522,738, T. C. Zweip, et al. issued Aug. 4, 1970, various methods and apparatus are disclosed to remove bones from animal meat cuts, such as hams. U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,586 discloses a deboning apparatus wherein the meat cut to be deboned is held by an end of the bone while a rotating plow member is urged against and along the length of the bone to remove the meat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,522,738 is specifically directed to a mechanism for causing a plurality of rotating follower members to follow the contour of the elongated article as a bone as it is axially moved through or with respect to an axis passing through an opening defined by the rotating annular support members for the following members. As disclosed therein, each of the annular support members are independently driven ad a differential between the speed of one member with respect to the other is adjustably maintained by means of a clutch. The clutch is adjusted such that slippage is permitted at a predetermined torque to cause the members to rotate at the same speed when the follower member engage a bone. The apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned patent is a significant step forward in the art related to the removal of meat from bones. Because the slip clutch assembly, through periods of use, requires adjustment and oftentimes, complete replacement improvements in the drive mechanisms were considered necessary. Subsequent improvements in the driving mechanism incorporated magnetic particle clutch mechanisms utilized with a torque sensor.